Actor Armie Hammer recently spoke candidly about the allegations that led to his career downfall in Hollywood, expressing gratitude for the tumultuous journey over the past three years. During an appearance on the “Painful Lessons” podcast, Hammer addressed the sensational accusations of cannibalism that surfaced in 2021, describing the ordeal as both bizarre and laughable.
“People called me a cannibal, and everyone believed them,” Hammer said with a chuckle. “They’re like, ‘Yep, that guy ate people.’ I mean, what? What are you talking about? Do you know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to eat people! How am I going to be a cannibal?! It was bizarre.”
The controversy erupted in 2021 when Hammer faced accusations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior from multiple women. The scandal intensified with the leak of private messages purportedly sent by Hammer, discussing cannibalistic fantasies and sexual fetishes. Consequently, Hammer was dropped by his talent agency, WME, and withdrew from several high-profile projects, including the Paramount+ series “The Offer” and the film “Shotgun Wedding” with Jennifer Lopez.
Reflecting on the past events, Hammer expressed a sense of gratitude for the lessons learned through the ordeal. “Even in the discrepancies, in whatever it was that people said, whatever it was that happened, I’m now at a place in my life where I’m grateful for every single bit of it,” he said on the podcast.
The “Call Me by Your Name” actor admitted that before the allegations, he struggled with self-love and self-validation, relying heavily on external approval from his career. “I’m actually now at a place where I’m really grateful for it because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me,” Hammer explained. “I didn’t feel good. I never felt satisfied, I never had enough. I never was in a place where I was happy with myself — where I had self-esteem.”
Hammer described the impact of the accusations as an “ego death, a career death,” which led him to join a 12-step program. “It’s almost like a neutron bomb went off in my life,” he said. “It killed me, it killed my ego, it killed all the people around me that I thought were my friends that weren’t — all of those people, in a flash, went away. But the buildings were still standing. I’m still here, I still have my health, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Towards the end of the podcast, Hammer acknowledged that his acting career is currently “nowhere” as he is “not a viable commodity” within the “Hollywood system.” Despite this, he is finding creative fulfillment by collaborating with a friend on writing a script, forging a new path in his artistic endeavors.